India's BRICS Chairmanship 2026
A Multilateral Leverage Point
India officially assumed the BRICS chairmanship on 1 January 2026, taking over from Brazil. India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026. The theme is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" (BRICS). The current BRICS grouping — originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa — expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. Iran is now a BRICS member. This creates an unusual situation: India chairs a grouping that includes both Iran and Saudi Arabia (and potentially Gulf states affected by the conflict), giving New Delhi a unique multilateral platform to push for de-escalation.
- BRICS formed: 2009 (as BRIC); South Africa joined 2010
- India's 2026 theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"
- New BRICS members (admitted 2024): Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE
- New Development Bank (NDB): Multilateral development bank of BRICS, HQ Shanghai, established 2015
- India's BRICS priorities: Global South issues, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), AI governance, intra-BRICS trade
- Key challenge: Iran's membership in BRICS while US sanctions are active
● Tracked since March 16, 2026 · last seen May 19, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes